Early Times Report
Srinagar, Mar 19: At a time when Pakistan is busy ruthlessly bombarding Jammu and Kashmir and killing innocent civilians, one PDP minister is advocating more trade with the country and opening more routes that could connect Kashmir with Pakistan.
The minister in question carries significant portfolios in Mehbooba Mufti led coalition government in the state and is also a senior voice in the party. While addressing people in summer capital on Sunday, the minister pitched for more trade and good relations with Pakistan. The statement carries significance as it has been issued at a time when the LoC has been painted red by the Pakistan army, leaving no stone unturned to unleash terror on the people of Jammu and Kashmir especially those living near to the LoC and international border.
On the same day when the minister issued the statement in Srinagar, Pakistani troops targeted border villages in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch district with mortar bombs, killing five memb...

Early Times Report
jammu, Mar 19: The BJP high command has pulled up the State Ministers and even MP for not visiting the Poonch where five members of a family died in Pakistan shelling.
Sources said the ministers especially the Health Minister has been severely pulled for showing the callous 'insenstivity'.
"It was display of brazen insensitivity by the BJP ministers for not rushing to the spot where five members of the family have died in Pak firing. We have taken hard stand on the Pak and if residents of state more so of the Jammu region, where BJP has political base, are left to lurch for themselves and BJP ministers are missing what kind of governance and message are we leaving? ...

Rajesh Tandon
Early Times Report
Poonch, Mar 19: Although government deployes policemen as Personal Security Officers (PSO) to the political leaders specially political representatives but some political leaders and legislators are using them for domestic works and media coverage.
According to sources, a PSO deployed with Member Legislative Assembly (MLA) Poonch Shah Mohd. Tantray is working as Camera person in public meetings in different areas. Is police department deploying respectable ...

Nitesh Sangral
Early Times Report
JAMMU, Mar 19: The termination of Dr Amit Kumar appears to be snowballing into major issue after Resident Doctors Association (RDA) threatened to go on strike if order of his termination was not revoked within two days.
Members of RDA expressing resentment against the administration termed the decision as unfortunate. Justifying the post, they claimed that the post was not meant to instigate or target anyone.
Referring his comment, Dr Amit told Ear...

Early Times Report
Srinagar, Mar 19: National conference working president and former chief minister Omar Abdullah on Monday said that 'ministers can protest to defend rape and murder accused but a doctor can't point out the truth'. The reaction came after a day when a government teacher posted in GMC Jammu was sacked over a Facebook post.
An order issued by the government in which a doctor identified as Amit Kumar, an anesthesiologist at the Government Medical College Jammu, was sacked over an anti-governmental Facebook post.
"Ministers can protest to defend rape/murder accused but a doctor can't point out the truth. @MehboobaMufti dictatorial Govt in J&K - J&K doctor faces action fo...

Early Times Report
JAMMU, Mar 19: Even as infighting has heated up in the ruling Peoples' Democratic Party over sacking of Dr Haseeb Drabu form the state Cabinet, the social media cell of the PDP is under scanner for targeting online the ousted leader.
Sources said the PDP's recently established social media cell, which works largely under the command of a "coterie", has been developing social media content against Drabu.
From videos where couplets are used to dance sequences to graphic images, the social media war is escalating with each passing day.
In one of the videos, viral on social media, two cartoons of PDP Ministers Syed Altaf Bukhari and Naeem Akhter are shown dancing before...

Early Times Report
JAMMU, Mar 19: Anti-Jammu policies being promulgated by ruling PDP with the support by its arch rival National Conference (NC) has authenticated the allegations that an undeclared 'Maha Gathbandan' as seen in recent UP by elections has already taken shape in J&K on the directions of Hurriyat Conference to ensure defeat of BJP in the coming Lok Sabha elections.
Shockingly the BJP in J&K and party's incharge of the State have deliberated extended deaf ear and blind eye towards political developments which are taking place in J&K covertly. Due to their lust for power and their enmity with sitting Lok Sabha members, BJP leadership in J&K, are deliberately sabotaging party'...

Early Times Report
JAMMU, Mar 19: Panun Kashmir, premier organization of internally-displaced Kashmiri Hindus on Monday, reiterated its age-old demand seeking a four-way split of Jammu & Kashmir, saying such a reorganization of the state alone could defeat the move of separatists in Kashmir to undermine Jammu's identity and personality, help Buddhists of Ladakh preserve their identity, religion and culture and enable internally-displaced Kashmiri Hindus to lead a secure and dignified life in their own land of Vitasta (Jhelum).
"Panun Kashmir (PK) once again reiterates that the only sure way of bringing peace in the state is by reorganizing the state of Jammu and Kashmir and creating a uni...

Early Times Report
JAMMU, Mar 19: Suddenly there is a clamour in Kashmir Valley that the Government of India wants to talk to the separatists and a top official of the Intelligence Bureau approached Hurriyat hawk Syed Ali Shah Geelani with the offer.
Soon after Geelani claimed that he got the talks offer Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh cleared the air and stated that "Jammu and Kashmir is and would continue to be an integral part of India."
Singh maintained that talks have to be held within the ambit of the constitution and no compromise would be made with the irrelevant separatists in Kashmir.
Sources told Early Times that separatists are desperate and want to somehow make their p...

Early Times Report
JAMMU, Mar 19: Advising the government to take concrete steps for immediate deportation of illegal immigrants (Rohingyas and Bangladeshis), the National Secular Forum (NSF) today protest against the BJP-PDP Govt.
Addressing the gathering here today, Dr Vikas Sharma State President NSF, said that illegal immigrants were posing grave security threat to the people of Jammu and they should be deported at the earliest. He also took dig at the sympathizers of illegal immigrants ...

Early Times Report
JAMMU, Mar 19: Vice-Chairman of Jammu and Kashmir State Advisory Board for Development of Pahari Speaking People, Kuldeep Gupta who holds the status of a Minister of State in the Jammu and Kashmir government was today caught on cameras picking up a stone to hit the officials who were demolishing the shops of his sons during an anti encroachment drive in Rajouri.
Kuldeep Raj Gupta picked up a stone, apparently to attack police and officials of the state government, after tw...

Jehangir Rashid
Early Times Report
SRINAGAR, Mar 19: The state government today ordered for the attachment of Dr. Mushtaq Ahmad, Head of Orthodontics, Government Dental College (GDC) Srinagar with Directorate of Health Services Kashmir.
"In the interest of administration, Dr. Mushtaq Ahmad, HoD Orthodontics, Government Dental College, Srinagar is hereby attached with the Directorate of Health Services, Kashmir till further orders," reads the order issued by Under Secretary, Health and Medical Education Department. The order has been numbered as Government Order number 192-HME of 2018.
The order has been issued following strike of the department of orthodontics who had slapped one ...

Bijay Charak
Early Times Report
Jammu, Mar 19: On one hand government has installed Radiology equipment worth crores in key hospitals of Doda but has failed to appoint a Radiologist in the entire district for the last few years due to which to avail the services of radiologist the patients of district are compelled to go to private clinics or adjoining districts.
Sources in the department concerned told Early Times that the dismal healthcare scenario in mountainous district of Doda, witnessing frequent road accidents, is the glaring examples of health being the most neglected sector even under the present regime. The three key health institutions of district including District Hospit...

AB Sharma
Early Times Report
Rajouri, Mar 19: An influential contractor has allegedly been using substandard material in the ongoing construction of a culvert near Makool Mandir in Sunderbani tehsil here while the concerned authorities have assumed a criminal silence over the matter. The contractor, who is brother of a former MLA, has been constructing culvert in Nallah Makool as a part of the multi-crore project worth over Rs 14 crores. The project is already under scanner for improper ...

Early Times Report
Jammu, Mar 19: The flawed government policies for private school owners to hire vehicles to ferry students, has been hitting the economy of small private school owners badly which in turn will ultimately benefit some big private school players.
Though the state government has so far failed to implement the Supreme Court guidelines regarding safety norms for school buses but it has also failed to devise a workable policy, which will safeguard the interests of small private school owners in consonance with implementation of norms.
As per the guidelines of the Supreme Court, a school bus must be painted yellow and "School Bus" should be written on the front and back ...

Mohammad Sarfaraz
Early Times Report
KUPWARA, Mar 19: Scores of people from Machil area, stranded in district headquarter Kupwara owing to closure of the only link road connecting their border sector staged a protest against the authorities.
According to sources a group of people from Machil area approached the Deputy Commissioner Kupwara to apprise him about the inconveniences faced by them due to continuous closure of the Machil-Kupwara road since last two weeks.
"It seems that the authorities are not considering Machil as a part of this jurisdiction and don't want to listen to the people of the far-flung areas then "higher authorities of the government should annex Machil with ...

Early Times Report
Rassana, Mar 19: Things in Kathua district in general and Hiranagar tehsil is particular have turned quite frightening. People of the areas, especially of Rassana, Hiranagar, Koota, Mareen, Dayalachak, Chadwal, Kattal Brahmana etc, are demanding justice for Gujjar girl Asifa, who was allegedly murdered almost two months ago and whose body was found in the jungle of Rassana village, which houses about 200 people and urging the authorities to not arrest, torture and harass the innocents. "Asifa was like our girl. We want justice. We want the culprit to be given an exemplary punishment so that no one in the future could dare commit such a crime. But we want a fair and imp...

Early Times Report
Jammu, Mar 19: Despite incessant thrust of MHRD to provide education to all at elementary level but the government of Jammu and Kashmir has failed to implement the centrally sponsored schemes (SSA) in letter and spirit as various infrastructures sanctioned for elementary schools level by the ministry is yet to see daylight.
As per the report compiled by the Ministry of Human Resources and Development (MHRD) over elementary schools levels narrates the different pictures as per claims of Jammu and Kashmir Education Department, as nearly hundred of schools still not thrown open for schools going children in the rural areas or far flung areas.
The documents reveals that...

Jehangir Rashid
Early Times Report
SRINAGAR, Mar 19: A huge controversy has surfaced at the Agriculture Production Department (APD) after an officer of the department deducted salaries of around 30 employees for no fault of theirs.
The controversy has assumed alarming proportions and it was due to this reason that Director Agriculture Kashmir, Altaf Aijaz Andrabi today dashed to the concerned sub-division and tried his best to motivate the employees whose salaries have been deducted. The employees have raised banner of revolt against the department.
Sources told Early Times that the officer who has ordered for deduction of salaries is very close to the Director Agriculture Kashmir....

Ishtiyaq Ahmad
Early Times Report
Srinagar, Mar 19: Despite the Centre for Media Studies (CMS) in its annual Indian corruption study, having placed Jammu and Kashmir along with Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, and Andhra Pradesh as most corrupt states, majority of the government departments with large public interface have failed to install close circuit television cameras to keep proper surveillance on officials.
According to the CMS survey 2017, "Karnataka (77%) followed by Andhra Pradesh (74%), Tamil Nadu (68%), Maharashtra (57%), J&K (44%) and Punjab (42%) emerged as more corrupt states among 20 surveyed states as far as 'experienced corruption in public services' is concerned."
Further ...

Agencies
New Delhi, Mar 19: The Supreme Court on Monday refused to pass any interim order on a plea filed by two Rohingya refugees to ensure health and educational facilities for them. A bench comprising Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justices AM Khanwilkar and DY Chandrachud was told by the Centre that there was no discrimination in granting health and educational facilities to Indians and outsiders.
"We will not pass any interim order with regard to ensuring health and educational facilities for Rohingya refugees unless petitioners bring some material contradicting the claims of the Centre," the bench said.
Earlier in the day, the apex court had directed the Centre to file a "comprehe...

Early Times Report
Jammu Mar,
The seriousness of the BJP-PDP government to dress the burning issue of Rohingyas's ouster from Jammu can be gauged from the fact that despite lapse of more than a year, a high level committee constituted by the government headed by Dr. Nirmal Singh, Dy. Chief Minister of BJP is constantly sleeping over the matter to keep PDP leaders in good humour which is obliquely supporting the cause of these illegal foreigner refugees.
This was stated by Dr Vikas Sharma, Chief, National Secular Forum in a press conference today to highlight the paramount urgency of immediate deportation of Rohingyas and Bangladeshi from the Jammu division and said that government fram...

Early Times Report
Jammu, Mar,
Neeraj Gupta-Zonal President JKNPP staged protest over the issue of wrong policies adopted by the Govt regarding Rohingyas, Bangladeshi, Burmies etc.
He said that the Govt is not serious in deporting the Rohingyas, Bangladeshi, Burmies etc. He said that the day by day these people are posing serious threat to the peace and communal harmony of the state. The investigating agencies and Govt. failed to resolve the demand of District by the residents of Sunderbani and Kalakote, failed to identify the culprits of Ashifa Murder Case, failed to prevent the attacks on CRPF camps and Army camps, failed to provide the security to common man even media persons are ...

Early Times Report
Jammu,
The activists of Dogra Front & Shiv Sena under the leadership of Ashok Gupta staged protest in Jammu against the Bangladeshis and Rohingyas, terming them as grave threat to the national security.
Ashok Gupta stated that the Rohingya and the Bangladeshies are threat for the state and they have the links with the ISI and other anti national elements. JuD carried out humanitarian work by distributing food, clothes, blankets and medicines in the Rohingya camps. But, its humanitarian work is said to be its "talent hunt" for potential jihadis. It is suspected that Hafiz Saeed has recruited tens of jihadis from among the displaced Rohingyas.
He said the Rohingyas h...

Early Times Report
KATHUA,
Kathua Young Bar Association today held a protest against illegal settlement of Rohingyas in Jammu and Kashmir.
President of Young Lawyers Association Kathua, Adv Anil Singh Andotra said we will not tolerate the illegal settlement of Rohingyas in the state. He condemned the policies of the state government on Rohingyas issue as well as the people of Jammu region. If the govt of J&K will not take any hard step for the identification as well as the eviction of Rohingyas from the state then the government itself will be responsible for the consequences, he added. Advocate Himanshu Sharma alleged that these radical Rohingyas are connected with the Jihadi org...

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